When Nightmares Come True
by chamsp
Summary: Mary Winchester dies on Sam's sixth month anniversary, but the boys aren't exposed to the Supernatural world. 14 years later, Sam is struggling with nightmares and visions, and Dean makes some discoveries that will change their life forever. AU. One-shot. Complete. Hurt! Sam. Protective!Dean.


Title : When Nightmares Come True

Characters : Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester

Rating: T

Genre: Hurt/Comfort. Angst

Disclaimer: _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Summary : After Mary's death, the Winchesters are not exposed to the supernatural world. It's been 14 years since the incident. Sam (14) is struggling with nightmares and visions, and Dean (18) makes some discoveries.

A/N : This was written for the 'Halloween - Nightmares and Dreams' contest on Tricky Raven. (Yes. Tricky Raven is now open for new fandoms, including Supernatural. Check it out) :)

* * *

It was Halloween time. Dean could hear the excited squeals and giggles and discussion about costumes outside as he started preparing the dinner. His dad would be home soon, all exhausted and worn out, and Dean didn't want to keep him waiting for food. A mechanic's job wasn't really a bed of roses.

Dean chopped the vegetables, smiling as he remembered all the times he and Sam had dressed up for Halloween. His little brother loved the whole costume thing, and took it very seriously. Of course, all that had changed in the last few years—ever since Sam got sick.

A strained whimper from the room upstairs caught his attention, and in the next moment he was in Sam's room. Panicked gaze swept over the room, taking in the tousled sheets on the bed and the tiny pills on the bedside table,finally landing on the fragile form huddled in the corner.

Crossing the room in two large strides, Dean crouched down, gently caressing his brother's head. "Sammy?"

Sam relaxed a little at Dean's touch, teary and wide eyes peering up from under the messy mop of brown hair. "D-Dean!"

"What's wrong, kiddo?" Dean tried to ease him out of the corner, but Sam refused to move.

"H-he was here, Dean. He'll take me away. I d-don't want to go. Please, Dean."

"Shhh! There's no one here, Sammy. No one will take you away. I won't let them."

"N-no. I saw him, Dean." Sam's whimper broke Dean's heart.

"OK. Come on, Sam. Let's sit over there and talk about this. Can you stand up for me?" Dean gently eased him up and helped the lanky kid to sit on the bed. "Here. Drink this." Handing Sam a glass of water, Dean rubbed his back soothingly.

Sam had been acting up lately, and it worried Dean to no end. His little brother had started seeing things a few years ago. At first, it was occasional nightmares and little incidents where Sam _thought_ he saw things. When Sam turned twelve, things got worse. He was sure there was someone stalking him and wanted to take him away. They seeked medical help, and John had reluctantly put Sam in a mental institution.

Those were the hardest couple of years for the Winchesters—all of them fighting their own battles. Things got better eventually, and Sam came home six months ago. Except for the occasional nightmares, everything was going smooth until a couple of weeks ago when Sam had a relapse. It seemed like it was getting worse again.

Placing the glass of water back, Sam grabbed Dean's hand. "I know you guys think something's wrong with me, but I'm not lying, Dean. I-I saw him."

"Sam…"

"H-he's always there, Dean. The man with yellow eyes. He stands outside the window, observing me, waiting for me. He t-told me I was his. T-that he has plans for me."

Dean wiped away the tears streaming down Sam's face. "Look at me, Sammy." Gently tipping his chin up, Dean smiled. "No one's gonna take you away. I won't let it happen, kiddo. I've got your back."

"No. Y-you don't understand. He's stronger. Way stronger than all of us." Sam's voice dropped to a whisper. "H-he killed mom, Dean."

Dean sucked in a sharp breath at the last part, jaws clenching. "What?"

"H-he told me so. And what he said, it was just like in my nightmares."

"What are you talking about, Sam?"

"In my nightmare, I saw her. Mom. She w-was pinned to the ceiling, a gash on her stomach. S-she was burning."

Dean gulped. The memories of his mother hit him hard, churning the sea of emotions in his chest, but he tried to keep his calm for this little brother. "You know that's not true, Sam. There was a fire. Yes. But dad found her just outside your nursery."

He knew the story way too well. He was being extra cranky that day, and his dad had taken him out for a walk. When they came back, there was a huge fire in Sam's nursery. His Dad found his Mom's body just outside Sam's nursery. They were too late and couldn't save her, but Sam made out of it unscathed, and they were all grateful for that. Sam was the baby of the family, the center of Dean's and John's worlds.

"B-but this was before Dad found her." Sam tried to reason, snapping Dean out of his thoughts.

Sighing, Dean held Sam's hands tightly. "Whatever it is, it's just winding you up, Sam. Remember what Dr. Jones said? You need to stay strong, kiddo. You don't let any of this get to you. I promise you, I and Dad, we'll never let anything touch you. You hear me?"

The words were spoken with such honesty and confidence, Sam couldn't help but nod despite the fact that he was sure he wasn't hallucinating anymore. The only things he trusted in his life were his Dad's and his brother's love and care.

"Look! You forgot to take your pills. You're gonna get me in trouble with Dad, kiddo." Dean chuckled, handing the pills to Sam. "We'll talk about this with Dr. Jones during your next appointment, Sam. It'll be fine." Dean tried to give a reassuring smile. "You take these and rest for a while. I'll wake you up for dinner, OK?"

Sam nodded, smiling weakly as Dean pulled the covers over him. Just as he stood up, Sam grabbed his hand again.

"Dean? What if all this isn't just in my head? What if it's real?"

"Then I'll find a way to fix it." Dean promised, not one ounce of doubt in his voice, and meant every word.

It was way past midnight when Dean strolled down the hallway, stepping into what was once Sam's nursery. It was now a storeroom, filled with all sorts of extra stuff, but mostly with his Mom's belongings. John Winchester never got over his wife, and had kept all her belongings in this room.

Sam mentioning their mom earlier brought up too many painful memories for Dean. He remembered her everyday; missed her everyday, but some days were just worse.

Slumping down against the wall, Dean ran his fingers over his mother's ring he always wore. Whatever he remembered of her— the love, the care, the affection—it was enough for a lifetime. If Dean could, he would do anything to have her back. She'd know how to make it better. They would all be happy if she was still with them, Dean was sure of it.

"It's OK, Mom. I'm gonna take care of Sam. He'll be fine. I'll make sure of it." He whispered, wiping away a lone tear.

Dean sat in there for what seemed like hours, just thinking and hoping. When his eyes started to droop, he decided to go to bed. As he stood up, he tripped over a huge cardboard box, spilling the contents all over the floor. Ignoring it, he was almost out the door when something caught his eyes.

A worn journal.

Dean didn't recognize it. He'd never seen it before. Curious to check it out, he picked it up and carefully wiped away the dust on it. For some reason, he knew the journal would change his life. Taking in a deep breath, he opened it.

Mary Campbell

The name was written in curved letters.

Just came back from my first hunt. Damn son of a bitch wasn't an easy kill, but then, what has ever been easy in my life?

Dean spent the next two hours going through the journal. He couldn't believe what he was reading. Every being Sam had ever mentioned from his nightmares, all the things from every horror movie he'd ever seen, apparently they all were real. His mother's journal was filled with information about them and the ways to kill them.

His blood ran cold at the implication. This meant Sam wasn't seeing things. Everything Sam saw was real. This man who was stalking Sam, Yellow Eyes, was real. What freaked Dean out more was the fact that the name Yellow Eyes was written in bold and circled several times in the last page of journal. Just one word. No further information.

Clutching his hair, Dean sighed heavily. This meant Sam was healthy, but this also meant his little brother's life was in danger. He'd never felt this helpless before, but he couldn't lose it now. He'd have to stay strong, and find a way to save Sam.

Composing himself, Dean grabbed the journal, and went straight to Sam's room. His little brother was sleeping peacefully—no signs of nightmares. Dean pushed the hair away from Sam's face and caressed his forehead. "I'm gonna keep my promise, Sammy. Even if that's the last thing I ever do."

Sam stirred, mumbling in his sleep. "D-ean?"

"Go back to sleep, kiddo. I've got you."

Once he made sure Sam was asleep, Dean went to the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee.

This was going to be a long night.

He had things to learn, and work to do. 

A/N : So... thoughts? Suggestions? Hit me up with them. :)

Have a good day.

Chamsp.


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